(Photo courtesy of Oxana Golubets)
“The constraint in a system isn’t the problem; ignoring it is.”
— Eliyahu M. Goldratt, The Goal
Bottlenecks are like the narrow neck of an hourglass, the points where everything slows to a crawl. They’re the constraints that dictate how fast or efficiently a system can run. In any process—whether it’s managing a project, running a business, or even tackling your daily tasks—bottlenecks act as the weakest links. They’re the parts holding back everything else, and figuring them out is often the key to making real progress.
The tricky thing is that bottlenecks aren’t always obvious. It’s tempting to focus on the parts of a system that are humming along smoothly and assume things are fine. But that’s a distraction. The real leverage lies in identifying the slowest part and working to improve it. If you speed up what’s holding the system back, the whole thing moves faster. This idea is at the heart of the theory of constraints. You don’t waste energy making the fast parts faster; instead, you zero in on the choke point and put all your efforts there.
That said, bottlenecks aren’t always the villains they seem to be. In some cases, they exist for a reason. Take the security checkpoints at airports, for example. Sure, they slow things down, but they’re there to protect passengers. If you got rid of them entirely, you might save time, but at what cost? In cases like these, the bottleneck isn’t just a necessary evil—it’s a deliberate part of the system designed to serve a larger purpose.
The key is to recognize which bottlenecks are intentional and which ones are accidental. A well-placed bottleneck can be a powerful tool, helping you focus resources and maintain quality. For instance, a small company might intentionally limit the number of projects they take on to ensure each one gets the attention it deserves. On the flip side, accidental bottlenecks, like outdated software or inefficient workflows, are just frustrating obstacles that slow everything down unnecessarily.
The real power of bottlenecks lies in their ability to create leverage. Fixing a single bottleneck can often have an outsized impact, improving the entire system with relatively little effort. But it’s not just about fixing; sometimes it’s about choosing bottlenecks intentionally and using them to your advantage. The trick is to pay attention, be deliberate, and focus your efforts where they’ll make the biggest difference. When you do, a small change can lead to big improvements.
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
— Arthur Ashe
